Amir rising to the glory once again

When life gives you a second chance at something you love, take it like Mohammad Amir. The sensational pacer is rising to the glory once again in the very same country he halted his rise and shine back in 2010.

It was the same city where he had played his last international cricket match before his comeback from the spot-fixing scandal. The same police and security who handcuffed his bowling arm are now outside his door as guards.

Ever since Amir made a comeback from the spot-fixing ban, the sensational pacer hasn’t lived up to the high hopes and expectations of the fans around the cricketing world.

Yes he’s sparkled in bits with breathtaking spells, providing the ‘WOW’ moments. But somewhere down the line consistency and a match-winning performance were missing.

The story was the same before the final in this Champions Trophy. He had managed to capture just two wickets from 28.1 overs at 67.50 and a strike rate of 84.5.

But finally Amir, the sleeping giant, woke up on the big stage to bowl one of the most crucial spells of his life — 6-2-16-3. He terrorised Indian batsmen with pace and swing at the ICC Champions Trophy final yesterday.

He dismissed three of the world’s top ODI batsmen Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and Shikhar Dhawan in a stunning new-ball spell. It broke India’s spine and they never recovered. It’s something like everything since Amir’s return, the dropped catches, the great but wicketless spells, was building to this.

This was the Amir that Pakistan was craving for. The Amir who could destroy the opposition with consummate ease. The Amir who could change any match upside down. The Amir who could put his hand up when Pakistan require him the most. The Amir who could win matches for Pakistan.